


Tied

by moriin



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Cheating, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-18 06:18:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13676001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moriin/pseuds/moriin
Summary: You made a deal with your best friend that if you were both single by 30, you would marry each other. What’s better than marrying your best friend as a desperate attempt to prove that you had your life together? But when you kiss him and start to fall for him, you find it hard to get back up.





	1. Chapter 1

“Why is dating so hard!?”

It was 9:30 on a warm Saturday evening when you burst through Seungcheol’s apartment door uninvited. He sat comfortably on the kitchen table as he studied, undisturbed by your breaking and entering as he was already used to it after a couple of years.

“Hello to you, too,” he muttered, not taking his eyes off of his textbook. “You’re back from your date quite early.”

“Oh, my God, he was so boring! All he talked about were video games and-and developing them and said so many big words that I didn’t understand… _And_ he had the audacity to ask me to come back home with him!”

You invited yourself to some snacks and a drink from his kitchen as you rambled on about how horrible your date was. Seungcheol finally looked up from his studying so he could watch you make yourself comfortable in amusement. Watching you binge on all of his junk food was always something he never got tired of.

“You’re telling me talking about games didn’t make you want to just rip your clothes off?” he teased. “A bit picky, aren’t you?”

“You’re one to talk! Didn’t you reject a date because her fingers weren’t pretty?”

“They were dirty, dry, and her cuticles were flaking. It’s basic hygiene, _____! If she couldn’t even take care of her hands, who knows what else she neglects!”

“Fine, so we both have impossibly high standards, but it’s because both you and I are too good for anyone.”

“At least we can both agree on that.”

“How long have you been studying?”

“Since four.”

“What!?” Upon hearing that, you jumped up from your slumped state and pulled two bottles from his fridge. “Alright, time for a study break, my friend.”

“I can’t, I have a midterm on Monday -”

“You always overwork yourself, ‘Cheol. Take a break and talk with your best friend once in a while, will ya? You know, your brain retains information better if you take breaks.”

“Oh, yeah? Does the alcohol help with that?”

“No, it’s your incentive - a completely separate element.” You handed Seungcheol a bottle before closing all of his textsbooks for him. He sighed loudly, fully knowing he couldn’t fight you. But he took the bottle graciously with his cute, cheeky smile that you loved so much. You two clinked your bottles together to begin his break.

“It’s been a while since you and I have just hung out together,” he noted to you.

“Yeah, guess whose fault is that?”

“Don’t use that tone with me, missy. I’m sorry I can’t help that our midterm schedules conflict with each other.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

The real reason you and Seungcheol haven’t spent time together recently was because he occupied nearly all of his free time to his new girlfriend. They’ve only been dating for about two months, but they never leave each other’s side! When you wanted to eat lunch with him, she was there; when you called him on the phone, she would always answer; and when you asked him to pick you up after a night out, she was the one driving.

At first you thought it was because she was jealous of how close you two were, but it was the opposite. When Seungcheol told you it was because she was kissing up to you and wanted The Best Friend Approval, you almost didn’t believe it because it sounded completely ridiculous. Needless to say, she was already off to a bad start, considering it’s been two months since you and him had more than two minutes of alone time together.

“I’m surprised she’s not sitting on your lap as you study.”

“Ha ha… I told her to stay home tonight because I can’t focus when she’s around.”

“Ugh, I don’t want to know the reason why,” you groaned. “At least she finally gave you some breathing room after two months.”

“If you don’t like her ~” he trailed off, hinting he could end it with her any moment.

“No, no… She’s _tolerable_ … And she makes you happy, so I guess she can get half of a point from me.”

“So generous of you,” he quipped, kicking you from under the table. 

“Just because I’m lonely and unlovable doesn’t mean you should have to suffer like me.”

“Aw, don’t talk about yourself like that!” Seungcheol scoots his chair over to you and pulls you into a good ol’ knuckle sandwhich. “You’re not lonely and unlovable! You have me, and your Mom loves you.”

“Good one, Cheolie.”

“Wow, you haven’t called me _Cheolie_ since high school. Are you drunk already or do you miss me that much?”

“No. I’m just feeling nostalgic, that’s all.”

“Sure you are.”

You and Seungcheol spent the rest of the night drinking whatever alcohol he had left in his apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was enough that you felt tipsy. The two of you used to spend countless nights just hanging out and talking with a drink or two all of the time in your early years of college, but as graduation was approaching, those nights became less frequent, and even more less frequently now that he has a girlfriend. So tonight, you were going to cherish this time you had with Seungcheol.

“I’m going to die alone,” you cried dramatically as you laid your head down on his kitchen table. The past couple of hours, you and him were just talking about the old times and past relationships and Seungcheol just had to remind you about that you haven’t been in a committed relationship for three years now and that you’ve only been coasting through the dating scene.

“No, you won’t. You might just… get married really late?”

“I bet by then I won’t be able to have children.”

“Don’t talk like that about yourself, _____. Do you remember how long I was single for before I met Yunah?"

"Twenty three years."

"Exactly! Your three years doesn't even compare to my twenty three. Besides, I bet the guy out there that was meant for you will be worth the long wait. He'll have to get through me first, though."

"But what if it's taking me so long because no one wants me?" you pouted, taking another swig at your drink.

"Hey," Seungcheol nudged you to look at him. When you lifted your head, he had his arms out wide open, telling you to come in for a hug. You slowly scooted your chair towards him and laid your head on his shoulder lazily as he rubbed your shoulder assuringly. "Anyone would be crazy not to want you. You're an amazing friend, and I bet even a more amazing partner."

"You're the only man in my life that likes me, can you believe that?"

"Unsurprisingly, I can."

"Honestly, I don't think I'll ever find someone who will like me for who I am more than you."

"You better, or else you'll actually never marry."

As you both sat in silence, your thoughts flashed through many moments you've shared with Seungcheol. You two have watched each other grow up over the years and you knew each other like you knew the backs of your hands and that included Seungcheol knowing how badly you wanted to get married. You used to talk to him about your infinite Pinterest boards about cakes, dresses, and venues and how you wanted him to be your Man of Honor, and all of the details in between.

Seungcheol never asked you about what kind of man you wanted to marry. He knew your type, or at least the superficial parts of it, but never what you looked for in a husband and to be quite honest, you've never thought about it, either. At least until now. Sitting next to your best friend, a bit intoxicated, and emotionally thinking about the inevitability of your relationship status got you thinking.

What kind of man did you want to marry?

Well, he had to be handsome, of course. And a good sense of humor was always a requirement. Intelligent, kind, and playful were all necessary, too. You wanted to marry someone who would support you no matter what and would only build up your confidence, never tearing it down one bit. You wanted to grow together, even if it meant falling down a couple of times. They sound like the basic elements of a husband, but for some reason, you could never find all of those qualities in a single man.

Except Seungcheol.

Well, besides the fact that he was handsome… Seungcheol was average on a good day.

“Cheol-ster,” you slurred as you struggled to sit up properly to face him. You hadn’t had the chance to get a good look at his face the past few hours, but you now noticed how red his cheeks were. You forgot he turned red easily when he drank. “Let’s make a deal.”

“Ok.”

“You don’t even know the deal yet…”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“What if I asked you to marry me, you’d still agree?”

“Very funny.” He stared at you for a solid ten seconds to realize you weren’t kidding. “Oh, my God, you’re serious. _____, I have a girlfriend -”

“Not now, you idiot!” you scolded, hitting his arm. “I mean later. Like, way later. Like if we’re both single by thirty-something, both hate dating people like five years younger than us, both hate our lives, and just want to settle down with a dog or two or three.”

“Marry each other as a desperate attempt at life?”

“Yes!”

“How romantic…”

“But think about it! Think of all the benefits that come with being married to each other. We already know what we’re like around each other, I practically live with you already so we got that situation out of the way, we can be each other’s emergency contacts - there’s no downside to this!”

“We might as well be celibate.”

“Oh, shit,” you cursed. You forgot about the whole sex part when it came to marriage… “Ok, so there’s one downside, but don’t the pros outweight the cons!?”

“Why are you like this all of a sudden?”

“Because now that you finally have a girlfriend, I can see how you are around her and it makes me jealous in a way that I miss having that, you know? You’re the one person who knows how much I want to get married. I just want to secure something because at this rate, I really will be single my entire life.”

“So I’m your last resort?” he pouted.

“Oh, come on, don’t act like that! You know I’d love to get married to my best friend!”

You gave Seungcheol the puppy eyes that he could never say no to. Even when drinking, he knew that this wasn’t the brightest idea ever, but how could he turn your lonely self down like that?

“… Fine.” He covered his ears instinctively when he heard you screech with joy. “But I’ll only agree if you agree on three simple conditions.”

“Shoot.”

“One, this is _if and only if_ we are both single by thirty.”

“Deal.”

“Two, if I cook, you have to do the dishes.”

“You’re pushing it, but that’s completely fair, I get it.”

“And three, I get to rap at our wedding.”

“No, absolutely not.”

“It’s all or nothing, _____.”

“I refuse to let you rap your vows to me.”

“Take it or leave it,” he threatened.

You couldn’t believe that this was his ultimatum to you, but he was just as serious as you were about his whole ordeal.

“Ugh, fine!” you groaned, caving in. “I hate you.”

“Don’t hate me too much, you might have to deal with me for the rest of your life.”

“I have reached a new low.”

As a silent agreement, Seungcheol raised his almost-empty bottle to you. You clinked yours against his begrudgingly and chugged whatever was left in your bottle.

“Cheers to the next seven years. Let’s see where life takes us,” Seungcheol said.

—

“Seungcheol, I need your help! It’s an emergency!” you panicked when you opened the door to his place.

His eyes were glued to the TV screen when he gave you a nod of acknowledgment. You sat beside him on the couch and watch him vigorously play a game of Fornite with his headset on.

“I’m half-listening,” he said.

“This is going to sound ridiculous, but I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

“What!?” Seungcheol was so shocked by your proposal that the one second he looked away from the TV to look at you, his character died instantly.

“Hear me out before you say no! So you know my cousin’s getting married, right? He’s making me the only person in the family who is unmarried and single and I cannot face my entire family unless I bring a date.”

“Why can’t you ask Jeonghan, or something?” he asked, starting up a new game.

“See, that’s where this gets difficult…” you smiled sheepishly. “Don’t hate me, but I kind of have been pretending you were my boyfriend for a whole year now…”

“ _What!?_ ” Oops, he died again. “A whole year!? Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“Because I was hoping I’d have a boyfriend to bring to the wedding by now and then I could lie and say that you broke up with me!”

“Unbelievable… You are hopeless.”

“I know, that’s why I need you to pretend with me! Please ~! They think I’m lying! Well, I mean I am, but I want to prove myself to them for once, you know? Think of it as practice for when we turn thirty!” You begged again, using your famous puppy eyes that you’ve been using to your advantage way too frequently lately.

Seungcheol groaned loudly, throwing his head back in defeat. “You owe me big time. Like a three-course meal once a week big time.”

“Yeah, totally, whatever you want!” You lunged at your best friend and gave him the tightest hug. “Ah, you’re the best!”

“So when’s the wedding?”

“… This Sunday.”

“What the hell, _____, that’s in like three days!”

“Sorry! I completely forgot about it until my Mom texted me an hour ago!”

“You’re so lucky my anniversary is the day before.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot you have another woman in your life that isn’t me,” you snorted. “How long have you two been dating now?”

“Six months.”

“Ugh, it feels like it’s been three years.”

“Don’t be like that. Now leave, she’s coming over in an hour and I haven’t seen her all week.”

“Wear protection, my friend,” you said as you ruffled his hair playfully. “Try to look decent on Sunday.”

“Same to you.”

—

Normally, you don’t care much to impress your family with the way you look or how you carry yourself. But tonight was a big deal for you. Being one of the youngest in the family, it was natural that you would be one of the last ones to get married, but when you found out your _younger_ cousin, who has been with his fiancé for nearly four years now, was getting married before you, you decided to get your shit together and show your family that you were totally capable of maintaining a relationship.

You stumbled outside of Seungcheol’s apartment struggling to walk in your heels. After knocking vigorously on the door, Yunah opened it up for you with a bright, fake smile.

“_____!” she squealed, pulling you into an awkward hug. “You look so pretty!”

“Ah, hey, Yunah! Thanks, you too, as usual.”

“Oh, stop it ~ Come on in, Seungie’s almost ready.” You cringed at her nickname for him when she turned around and went back inside.

“Thanks for letting me borrow him. I don’t know what I would do if I showed up to a wedding without a date,” you sighed.

“It’s no problem at all! I always feel bad that I take him away from you so often. He needs to spend time with you once in a while.”

“I’m not a child,” Seungcheol said as he walked out of his room straigtening his tie. “You guys act like I’m the son of divorced parents…”

You gawked at your best friend as he walked towards the two of you. He wore all black, from head to toe, and even fixed his messy, fluffy hair a little bit. He looked like he was ready to walk the red carpet, and you’ve never seen your best friend look so stunning before.

“Hello?” he called, snapping his fingers in front of your face. “Earth to _____.”

“Huh? Oh, hey…!”

“I know, I look sexy in all-black, huh?”

“You look presentable,” you lied.

“Don’t listen to her, you look very handsome ~” Yunah gushed before she pulled Seungcheol in for a deep kiss.

The scene in front of you made you want to throw up and throw yourself down the stairs. This wasn’t the first time you’ve seen them kiss, but it gets worse the more you witness it. “Ugh, gross…”

“Ok, let’s get going. I want to make it there before the open bar closes.” Seungcheol gives Yunah one last parting kiss before you both leave his apartment.

“You look dashing tonight,” he teased. “I haven’t seen you in a dress like this since freshman homecoming.”

“You know I hate wearing dresses like this. I’m only wearing it because I need to look like an adult with her life together in front of my family.”

“Good thing I’m here then. I’ll be your personal hypeman.”

“I should rent you out to bring to family functions more often.”

“That’s a large price to pay.”

The two of you arrived at the wedding around the same time as everyone else did and the venue was packed. Half of it was full of aunts, uncles, and cousins from across the world that you haven’t seen since you were a little girl and the other half was the fiancé’s side of the family. There had to be at least three hundred people here.

On top of that, all of the decorations were so beautiful and detailed. Your cousin had the type of chairs you wanted for your wedding, large center pieces at each table, and hundreds of twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling. The inner desperate and younger you was squealing at all of the wedding galore.

It only reminded you of how alone you really were.

“Quick, to the bar,” you guided, taking Seungcheol by the wrist.

“We don’t even know where we’re sitting yet!”

After getting a couple of drinks for each of you, you wanted to sit at your table as quickly as you could. Maybe the reception would move faster that way. Your seats were located near the dancefloor and the bridal party’s tables, right where your parents and a few other cousins sat.

“You didn’t tell me I was meeting your parents!” Seungcheol hissed to you.

“Did you think they weren’t going to be here!?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t prepare anything! _We_ didn’t prepare anything!”

“We’ll be fine! It’s not like you don’t know anything about me!” You plastered on the biggest smile on your face when your parents got up to hug you. “Hi, Mom, Dad.”

“_____, I’m so happy you came! And with Seungcheol, too! We’re so happy to finally meet you!” In her ecstatic state, your Mom hugged Seungcheol even tighter than how Yunah does.

“Nice to meet you both,” Seungcheol said, clearly nervous from the way your Dad eyed him suspiciously.

“I can’t believe he’s real!” One of your cousins snorted. “And he’s hot!”

“Hey!” you scolded.

“No offense, but we all thought you were fake.”

“Yeah, she warned me about that.”

Throughout most of the dinner, you were so nervous that you were almost sweating. A situation like this wasn’t even serious, even if Seungcheol were to slip up, but the wedding atmosphere just really made you anxious. The drinks only helped a little bit. It was mostly your parents who asked the two of you questions about your relationship. They asked basic things, like how he asked you out, what was your first date like, does Seungcheol wear condoms - you know, basic things…

But as dinner moved forward, you started to relax a bit. Seungcheol was answering all of the questions quite impressively and it made this whole fake boyfriend thing look very much believable. You were surprised with his acting skills - who knew Seungcheol would make a great boyfriend?

“Tell me, Seungcheol,” your Dad began. Oh no, this sounded like it was going to be one of those _Dad_ questions… “What do you like about our daughter?”

“Dad!” you hissed.

“C’mon, can’t her family wonder what this boy thinks about our precious daughter?”

“You’re so embarrassing!”

“Yeah, Seungcheol. Tell us all what you see in this little brat,” your cousin teased.

“What do I like about her?” Seungcheol repeated.

You slowly shrunk in your chair. This was it, this was how your whole family was going to find out about your fake boyfriend and how you’ll be single forever…

“When we first met, she was the closed-off girl on our residence floor. She always hung out in her dorm, and when she wasn’t, she was in the community room in the corner couch with her headphones in. When the rest of our floor was out having fun at parties, she would finally prop the door open to her dorm room and blast her music. One time, I stayed back because I had an exam the Monday after and I just talked to her the whole night. At first, we made it a weekly thing to hang out, but it gradually become more frequent. During those times, I’ve gotten to know her a lot more. She was cold, but she opened up her heart to me so easily. We were friends for a long time before we started dating, so I came to her for anything and everything and she came to me, and it was all the more reason to like her. In those past four years, I’ve seen her be kind, intelligent, gentle, angry, sad, frustrated… I’ve seen it all at this point, but it’s part of the infinite reasons why I love her. And even after all of that, I still can’t take my eyes off of her.”

Throughout his whole speech, you looked at Seungcheol with wide eyes. You couldn’t stop staring at him even when he finished. You thought that he was going to tell them a fake story about how you met at a coffee shop or something, but he told them a story full of truth, one that you kept in your heart. The day you met Seungcheol was when your life changed for the better and hearing him repeat it back to your family in a way that made your heart flutter brought tears to your eyes.

And to your Mother’s…

“And you two have only been dating for a year?” your cousin asked. “It feels like you guys have been married for ten years.”

“Oh boy, you made her mother cry!” your Dad chuckled as he teased your Mom. “That story deserves a drink. Let me buy you one.”

“Thanks.” Seungcheol shot you a quick wink before he got up to go with your Dad to the bar.

“I like him,” your Mother smiled as she gently wiped her tears. “I like him a lot!”

“Clearly. I think you and Dad like him more than I do.”

“Even better!”

The rest of the night went on extremely smoothly, which made you even more anxious than before. It was probably because you couldn’t take your mind off of what Seungcheol said about you to your parents. You spent your college years with him mostly teasing each other and only ever said sincere words to each other when either of you was upset or really needed to hear some sort of validation. Maybe it was the wedding fever, but the whole night, you thought about how much you really appreciated Seungcheol and how Yunah was so lucky to have him.

The wedding fever hit it’s high point when your cousin and his now-wife danced alone together on the dancefloor. You could hear a collective, longing sigh throughout the venue from all of the ladies in the room, you included. The dancefloor opened up to the whole room once the lovely couple finished their first dance, and you and Seungcheol were the only ones left at the table.

“How am I doing so far?” he asked.

“You’re way too good at this for someone who has only been in a relationship for six months.”

“Yeah, I had some practice with Yunah’s parents not too long ago, so this was a piece of cake.”

“I bet. Do her parents love you more than she does, too?”

“No, that’s not possible.”

As you sat in silence for a bit and admired the couples on the dancefloor, Seungcheol took this opportunity to look at you while you were distracted. The look on your face wasn’t necessarily sad, but it was something else - like you were longing for something. He hadn’t seen you like this since your last boyfriend broke up with you, and he remembered how devastated you were.

You looked at Seungcheol with a brow raised when he stood up.

“C’mon, let’s dance.”

“Dance? With you? No, thanks.”

“If I don’t force you to, your parents will.” Seungcheol nudged his head over to your parents on the dancefloor who ushered you to join them.

“Fine, but if you step on my feet, it’s over.”

The song was slow and gentle, muttering lyrics about how much the singer loved their partner. Seungcheol bowed to you embarrassingly before wrapped his arms around your waist. Hesitantly, you put your hands on his shoulders.

“This isn’t some awkward middle school dance,” he teased. “Don’t be afraid of me.”

With that said, he forced you to wrap your arms fully around his neck, forcing you to close the gap between the two of you. You two were so close that you could smell his cologne and shampoo. There was something that was pulling the two of you even closer together - like a magnet. So close that your noses were almost touching. You never noticed how long his eyelashes looked, how clear his skin was, and especially how soft his lips looked…

Oh no, this was bad, this was really bad! You can’t be thinking these things about him! And why now, of all times, when you’ve known him for four years! What was even worse was that he was looking at you and thinking the same things, too, and you knew it by the way you caught him staring at your lips.

What surprised you the most was that he was the one to lean in and kiss you. You returned the kiss immediately, shocked by how soft his lips were against yours. It was a short, simple kiss, but it was one that struck you in your core.

When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against yours.

“What are we doing?”

—

The car ride home was a long and silent one. The air was tense and awkward and it was all your fault! If you just sucked up your pride and just went to the damn wedding alone, you woudln’t be in this mess! You couldn’t believe you just ruined four whole years of friendship in one, desperate night -

“Hey,” Seungcheol said, shaking you from your thoughts. “I’m sorry about… you know, what happened back there when we were dancing…”

“No, it was my fault -”

“I should have kept my distance -”

“I should have set some boundaries -”

“It won’t happen again, you know -”

“It’d be best if we could just forget about all about it -”

“It was a mistake, and Yunah doesn’t have to know.”

“Yeah…” you breathed out. “A mistake.”

When he pulled up to your place, you were almost too scared to get out of the car. The minute you stepped out, your entire relationship with him was going to change, and that was the last thing you wanted. If you could rewind and prevent that kiss, you would in a heart beat, but for now, you wanted to stay in this moment forever so you wouldn’t lose your best friend.

“This won’t change anything, right…?” you whispered.

“Not unless we want it to,” he reassured. “We just have to pretend like it didn’t happen.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll head on in now. Thanks again. Not just for tonight, but for everything.”

“_____, nothing’s going to change -”

“I know! I just don’t appreciate you as much as I should, you know?”

“You’re a great friend, too,” he said, ruffling your hair playfully. “You still wanna get married at thirty, right?”

“If that’s ok with you,” you smiled.

“Just making sure ~ Good night.”

“Text me when you get home.”

When you went inside your home, you went straight to bed, spending the entire night crying yourself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The first week after you kissed Seungcheol, you avoided him at all cost. You might have texted him here and there, mostly about how your day was or to send each other weird memes you found, but other than that, you never met up with him in person. You were so ashamed about the kiss that you couldn’t face him just yet. To be honest, Seungcheol already saw that coming, so he reluctantly understood your uneasiness, and you knew he did, too, but there was something deep inside of you that hoped he would push that uneasiness and fight for your friendship.

The following weeks became a little easier. You gradually lengthened the texting conversations and even called him on the phone here and there. It felt like you were slowly, but finally getting your best friend back, bit by bit. Although talking to him was getting easier, seeing him in person was still something you couldn’t bring yourself to do. You had to lie about studying for midterms for about three weeks until you saw him face to face again.

So when you saw him for the first time in one month, you felt your heart beat out of your chest.

It was in the middle of a crosswalk at a busy intersection when it happened - quite cliche, if you said so yourself. There was a median that divided the opposite sides of the road and that’s where Seungcheol stopped you with his soulful and pleading eyes.

“It’s been a while, huh?” he teased. “You know, it’s really quiet at the apartment when you’re not nagging in my ear every other day.”

You knew Seungcheol was trying to pretend that he believed your lie about being so busy because of studying. You knew he was trying to pretend that the kiss never happened by trying to act like everything was normal. And you knew he was doing all of that because he knew that you couldn’t. He carried twice the burden because the second you saw him with his bright, toothy smile, you knew that things would never be the same between the two of you ever again. 

At least not to you.

“Yeah, midterms are kicking my ass,” you laughed nervously, heart still beating uncharacteristically. You needed to get out of here, fast. “I have to go to the library now. But I’ll see you later?”

“Oh… Ok…”

As you began to walk past him, he grabs your hand and forced you to turn around.

“U-Uh, yeah?” you stuttered.

“Can we catch up after your exams? Dinner next week maybe?” he asked, although it sounded like you didn’t have a choice to decline.

“I don’t know, I have a lot of projects coming up and -”

“Please…?” He begged you with sincere sadness in his big, round eyes. They were always so full of emotion and today they longed for your company again. “I kind of miss you.”

And you missed him dearly, too.

“Ok,” you nodded. “I’ll text you.”

“No, call me.”

“If you insist,” you said, the smile he loved so much finally growing on your lips.

So you called him. And called, and called, and called, but he never answered. You know what he did instead? He texted you - the very thing he told you _not_ to do. He texted you each time he rejected your call, saying to call back later or that he’d reschedule the dinner, but he never did. The first time he texted, you thought it was just bad timing, but the sixth time you figured he just wanted nothing to do with you.

You decided to stop trying. You knew that everything changed the second you stepped out of his car, but you couldn’t help but feel hopeful anyways, right? It was so naive of you... Idiotic, even. Seungcheol made you believe that your friendship wouldn’t change because of one fucking kiss, but of course it would! What friendship wouldn’t!?

Which was why you haven’t seen him for two years.

Two whole years have passed since you’ve not only _not_ seen, but talked to your once-best friend. Two years spent trying to erase the last four years of your life down the drain by deleting all of your saved pictures and throwing away all of your treasured memories together. It took you so long to get over the thought that you were the one who ruined everything, but once you realized that this whole mess was a two-way street, you allowed yourself to forget those dark thoughts once and for all. Two years of heartache, confusion, and growth have made you into the woman you are today. In that seemingly-long time frame, you graduated with your bachelor’s, found your first big girl job that paid well, and you even adopted your first puppy!

And you know what? You were completely fine. You were fucking _fantastic_ without him! Who needs a shitty best friend that ditches you after one accidental drunk kiss, anyways!? Not you, that’s for sure!

But you had to admit, those were the two loneliest years of your entire life.

Today was a warm, sunny afternoon when you were having one of your daily existential crisis thoughts and of course, today just had to be about Seungcheol. Now that your friendship with him was over, did this mean that you would actually truly be lonely forever? You’ve tried going on dates, tried the Tinder thing, and even just one night stands to let your sexual frustration out, but we all know that those things never last! What about that pact you made with him about getting married!? Oh, God, you really were going to be single for the rest of your life -

“_____?” A familiar voice called.

“Huh?”

You probably looked crazy wandering the streets with the dumbest look on your face while your head was in the clouds. When you came to your senses upon hearing your name, you saw your favorite couple standing right in front of you, hand-in-hand, looking like they were straight out of a young-adult coming-of-age drama.

You wanted to throw up.

“It _is_ you! Wow, I thought I was just seeing things, but hah, I was right, Seungie! It’s been so long, _____ ~” Yunah cooed as she came up to hug you tightly.

You weren’t sure how to respond only because she was the second-to-last person on this planet you wanted to be hugging right now, so you ended up patting her back awkwardly, completely ignoring the equally-awkward man in front of you. He hadn’t moved from his spot since he laid eyes on you, still shocked to see you just aimlessly wandering the streets after two years. You tried to avoid looking at his forsaken expression by staring at the clouds.

After an uncomfortably long time of hugging in the middle of town, Yunah released you from her death grip and jumps back to her boyfriend’s side, kicking him forward.

“Hey,” was how Seungcheol breathlessly greeted you for the first time after two years. His face was pale as he looked at you, like he saw a ghost.

Not exactly an appropriate reaction, but did you expect any more?

“Hi.”

“I can’t believe it’s been that long since we’ve seen you.”

“Yeah, life’s crazy like that,” you said, trying to tone down your sarcasm, though you couldn’t help that it naturally slipped out when you looked at him. The longer you stood in front of him, you hated yourself more as every second that passed by. It became worse when Yunah wrapped her arms around his waist affectionately. The cringey scene in front of you helped you realize the twisting in your gut was your cue to leave. “Well, I gotta go -”

“Leaving so soon already?” Yunah pouted. “Don’t you have time to catch up with us?”

“Uh, no... Adulting is hard! Gotta get that paycheck, right? I’ll catch up with you guys later,” you lied.

“Wait, before you go! Are you seeing anyone right now?” Seungcheol nearly choked on his water when she asked you that, and you probably would have, too. The both of you looked at her with wide eyes, scared about where she was going with this. After all this time apart, you and Seungcheol still shared the same expressions.

“U-Uh, no…” you stated hesitantly. “Why…?”

“Seungie, wasn’t Joshua looking to date again? Wouldn’t it be cute if we set them up together!?”

“What!?” he exclaimed. “I-I mean, well, I don’t think -”

“So Seungie’s good friend at his job got out of a relationship a couple of months ago and he was _devastated_ , it was so heartbreaking! But we saw him not too long ago and he mentioned that he might want to start dating again, and honestly, I think you two would be perfect! Don’t you think so?”

“Yunah, _____ just said she’s busy lately with her job. Maybe she doesn’t have time to date right now -”

“I’d love to meet him,” you interrupted. The couple turned their heads towards you surprised. Were you _really_ ready to date? Your damaged heart said no. But there was no way in hell you were going to let Seungcheol dictate your dating life, let alone anything that involved you at all!

“Really!?” they asked you simultaneously.

“Why not? He sounds like a great guy. Besides, I’ve been looking to start dating. It’s been a lonely couple of years, after all,” you spat, causing Seungcheol to look away.

“That’s great! Wow, what perfect timing! How about we have a double date this weekend?” Yunah squealed.

“Sounds perfect. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“I’ll let him know tonight! Isn’t this exciting, Seungie!?”

“Yeah… Exciting…” he frowned.

“I can’t wait for you to meet him, _____. You’ll love him, I promise! We’ll get out of your hair for now ~ See you this weekend?”

“R-Right. This weekend, for dinner, yes.”

“Great!” Yunah hugged you one more time before dragging Seungcheol into some direction. He found it hard to look at you as he left with his girlfriend, not even entertaining you with a mere glance as he followed closely behind her.

You couldn’t wait to go on a date out of spite.

\--

Oh, my God, you were going on a date out of spite.

Really, you were twenty-five years old now, five years away from your ideal age of marriage, and you were going on a date out of spite! With a man who could potentially be the one, you might add! You know, this was all Seungcheol’s fault. If he had just cleared the air and answered one of your fucking phone calls two years ago, maybe you wouldn’t be in this sad, pathetic mess of a date!

 _And_ you had to eat Yunah’s cooking while you were at it!? She was a terrible cook!

What did you agree to…?

As you stood outside of Seungcheol’s apartment, too afraid to knock, you thought that maybe you should just bail. This didn’t seem right at all - or fair, for that matter, especially to his coworker! But that would mean Seungcheol won, or something like that, and you were definitely _not_ about to let that happen, so you begrudgingly knocked on his door.

“Just in time!” Yunah chimed when she opened the door for you, dressed a bit too excessively for such an inclusive date. Did she live here now that she was blessed with the duty of opening Seungcheol’s door? “Come in, Joshua’s already here.”

“Thanks.”

When you walked in, you saw your date talking to Seungcheol, and when he turned to smile at you, you thought your heart stopped beating. This man was probably the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen in your entire life! He was tall, incredibly handsome, and his smile was so kind, something you haven’t seen since Seungcheol left you. You really didn’t want to give Yunah any credit, but you had to admit, you were not disappointed.

Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad.

“Hi,” he greeted you, extending his hand. “Nice to finally meet you. Wow, you’re… a lot prettier than I imagined.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” you teased.

“Definitely. I’m usually too chicken to go on blind dates, but Yunah insisted. Needless to say, I’m glad I didn’t chicken out.”

“Me, too,” you smiled.

The four of you enjoyed a lovely candlelight dinner at Seungcheol’s new kitchen table, or at least you thought it was new. The feeling of it was different than you remembered. Yunah probably bought it for him, or something. A full three course meal was set in front of you all with a nice bottle of wine to match the meal. Yunah hastily grabbed Joshua so he could sit next to her, forcing you and Seungcheol to sit together. This made things incredibly awkward on your ends and you were afraid your nervousness would show before the appetizers started.

Was it too early to open the bottle of wine?

“This table’s, um, new…?” you questioned to heighten the awkwardness because that’s exactly what you needed right now.

“Actually, I got it a couple of months ago! Although, it has been a while since you’ve been here, hasn’t it?” Yunah said.

“Do you live here now?”

“No, but I’m slowly making my way in ~! I have a bunch of overnight stuff here already.”

“How do you three know each other exactly?” Joshua asked. You weren’t prepared for this question at least until the main course.

“Either of you want to explain?” Yunah urged. What was she, your mom now?

When you glanced at Seungcheol in hopes for him to answer, you weren’t surprised he did the same to you. You _really_ wanted him to answer, that way you could get a sense of clarity of how he felt about you even just a little bit, but the truth might be too much for you to handle.

“We knew each other from college,” you answered quickly. “That’s all.”

“‘ _That’s all_ ’? Ouch,” Seungcheol chuckled bitterly, causing you to roll your eyes. “We were really good friends -”

“Who haven’t seen each other in two years. But hey, what a way to catch up, right!?”

“Even finishing each other’s sentences? You two must be really close to be on the same wavelength like that,” Joshua mused.

“Yeah, that’s one way to put it,” you fake-grinned. “Where’s the wine opener?”

“I like the way you think,” Joshua teased.

“I thought you don’t drink?” Seungcheol asked.

“I don’t, but a glass or two once in a while doesn’t hurt.”

“Found it!” you cheered from the kitchen. Your skills in bottle-opening were scarily impressive. You rose your not-so-empty glass to Joshua only after you sat down. “Cheers to new beginnings?”

“To new beginnings,” Joshua cheered. “To new, exciting beginnings, with my pretty date.”

“Joshua, are you flirting with me ~?”

“Just a little.”

“See! I knew they would get along!” Yunah squealed.

“Yeah… good job,” Seungcheol muttered.

\--

“No way, you were a church boy!?” you teased during dessert.

The rest of the night was mostly you and Joshua getting to know each other more and you and Seungcheol trying to avoid every question that involved the two of you. Joshua was a bit invasive about it at first, but you settled the questions once and for all when you lied and said you two were long time friends who just fell apart over the years.

But was it really the friendship that fell apart? Or was it just you? The one left in the dust.

“Yup. I was in the choir and everything ~” he giggled with you. Seemed like Joshua was quite the lightweight.

“Wow, so you must sing well, huh? Will you sing to me sometime?”

“I would love to. Maybe on our second date?” he asked hopefully. “With just the two of us?”

Wow, that was quick. You weren’t expecting to be asked out until after the golden three-day rule. But hey, this was a lot better - at least this way you know he’s just as interested in you than you are of him.

“Yeah, that’d be great!” You could feel Seungcheol’s shoulders tense up next to you.

“Really? Great!”

“Ok, it’s getting late,” he said, hearing enough of you and Joshua flirting for three hours. “I think it’s time to wrap things up.”

“Aw, we were just getting started,” Joshua whined. “Actually, do you mind if I crash here tonight? I don’t think I can drive,” he said, stumbling out of his chair.

“Oh, let’s get you to the couch,” you offered, wrapping your arms around his slim body. Even with your hands outside of his shirt, you could feel the toned outlines of his body. Yunah really picked a good one for you.

“What about you?” Seungcheol asked, acting like he cared. “Do you want to stay the night, too?”

“No.”

“Are you sure, it’s really no problem -”

“I’m sure. I have a few things to take care of,” you lied.

“Oh, ok…”

“I’ll prepare the couch for Joshua. Can you take _____ down?” Yunah asked.

“I still remember how to get to the lobby -”

“Nonsense, it’ll give you two some time to catch up!” She said as she tossed a comforter on top of a very sleepy Joshua.

You didn’t agree nor decline the offer because you were just too tired to do so. There was no use arguing with Yunah anyways, as she always gets her way regardless. You said your goodbye to the most fulfilling date you’ve had in a long time. Walking over to his lying form, you gently tucked the loose strands of hair on his face to reveal more of his sweet, smiling face. He turned to face you more and his smile only got bigger. He was so cute as a smiley drunk.

“Aren’t you cute?” you teased.

“Not as cute as you. I’m sorry I sort of ruined it at the end - my tolerance isn’t as high as yours.”

“If you ruined it, I wouldn’t have agreed to a second date, would I?”

“I suppose you wouldn’t have.”

“I had a wonderful time tonight. I’m glad I agreed to this blind date.”

“Me, too.”

You left a gentle kiss on his forehead and slipped your phone number into one of his trouser pockets as your last goodbye for the night. “Here’s my number. Call me, ok? Good night, Joshua.”

“I will. Good night, _____.”

You gave a quick hug to Yunah as a farewell and a thank you for setting you up before you headed out the door, barely giving Seungcheol any time to follow closely behind you. The walk to the elevator was a silent one, and the wait was torturous as he stood closely beside you. You weren’t sure why, but you felt the hallway walls enclose around you at an increasing rate the longer you two waited for the elevator and it made you sweat. Was it getting hot in here?

Of course, Seungcheol had to live on the seventeenth floor of the highrise, which doesn’t sound as high up as you’d think, but it was still higher up than the single-digit apartment floors, which meant more time spent together. The two of you stood on opposite sides of the elevator, avoiding each other’s eye contact, waiting for the other person to say something. But there was no way you were going to cave in first.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked you with urgency, though he already moved forward with the subject before you could decline. “Were you just faking it the whole night?”

“Faking what?”

“You know, actually being interested in Joshua? Because if you were, you’d be a pretty shitty person.”

“Ok, first of all, you are the last person who should be calling out how shitty of a person I am,” Seungcheol looked down shamefully at your retort. “And second, why would I be faking it?”

“I don’t know, to get my attention?”

“As usual, the world has to revolve around Choi Seungcheol!” you scoffed.

“That’s not what I meant. Besides, he’s not even your type.”

“What would you know about my type? In fact, please enlighten me on what my type is!”

“I know because you’re a very picky person. That much about you hasn’t changed.”

“And how do you know that? Two years is a long time for me to grow up and change my preferences.”

“Fine, so say you weren’t faking it and are actually interested in Joshua. Are you seriously going to go out on a second date with him because you want to?”

“Why does it matter, Seungcheol!?”

“Because…! He’s a good person. He doesn’t deserve to be taken out on a date out of spite.”

“Unbelievable,” you scoffed again. “You care more about your coworker than you do about your friends.”

“_____-”

“No, don’t talk to me -!”

You were interrupted when the elevator stopped suddenly on the sixth floor, causing the both of you to fall. After a couple of seconds of recollecting yourselves, you both realized that the elevator wasn’t going to move anytime soon.

You were stuck in an elevator with Seungcheol for God knows how long.

“Are you kidding me!?” you cursed before pressing the emergency call button. “Hello!?”

“Hello, what is your emergency?” the receiver asked.

“The elevator’s stuck!”

“Ok, hold still. We’ll be with you in just a moment.”

“‘ _Hold still_ ’, well where the fuck are we supposed to go!?” you muttered bitterly after they hung up. You were so fired up from your argument that you failed to notice Seungcheol’s little smirk he used to get every time you were angry and swore at someone.

After thirty minutes of waiting in silence and counting all of the stars in the sky, they told you it would take a couple of hours until you were free. It was already one in the morning.

“Hey, _____ and I got stuck in the elevator, so don’t wait up for me. Yeah, we’re ok. I’ll call if anything happens. Ok, I love you, too,” Seungcheol told Yunah over the phone. You gagged at the last sentence to mask the feeling of your heart caving in.

“Great,” you sighed in defeat. “Oh, my God, I bet my puppy pooped everywhere…!”

“A puppy? You have a puppy now?”

“What do you mean ‘ _now_ ’, I’ve had a puppy for over a year - wait, nevermind,” you paused, realizing that of course he couldn’t have known about your puppy.

“Do you have any pictures?”

“... Yeah…” You really didn’t want to show your baby off to someone who cared more about his coworkers than you, but she was just too cute! You were like a proud mom. So you scooted yourself closer to Seungcheol and swiped through the hundreds of pictures you had of her.

“She’s so cute,” he said, grinning at each picture. You tried to focus on the pictures rather than how handsome his face had gotten, but your eyes liked to betray you and wandered frequently.

“You take her to that park we always used to go to?” he asked, pointing to a particular picture.

“Yeah, she likes to pee by the big fountain.”

“The one with the benches where we would sit and people-watch?”

“For like, three hours at a time with $20 worth of street food? The very same.”

“I haven’t been to that fountain in so long…”

“If I don’t walk her by there everyday, she throws a hissy fit.”

It was ironic that sentences like these really put into perspective where you both were at with your lives and with each other. Seungcheol hadn’t been to the fountain since the last time you were with him and you pass by it everyday. It was like how he so easily moved on without you, experiencing new and exciting things with different people, while you were left to live through the past with nearly no one beside you.

All because of one kiss.

“I’ve missed you,” Seungcheol admitted after half an hour of silence.

When you turned to look at him, he had the soft and tired smile on his face he always had when he was feeling nostalgic. You weren’t sure if what he said was genuine or if he said it for the sake of your emotional stability, but either way, you didn’t want to hear it.

Your heart couldn’t take it.

“You don’t have to lie,” you said, turning away.

“_____…”

“Things are different now, Seungcheol. You can’t just say things like that like it’s going to fix everything.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t! You used to always do this, you know!?” you cried out. “Before all of this, whenever I was mad at you, you’d always say some sweet bullshit that would make me forget why I was mad at you in the first place, and I won’t let you do it this time.”

“I’m not trying to! It’s just… It’s been two years since I’ve seen you, and I’ve missed you.”

“It didn’t seem like it when I saw you for the first time a couple of days ago.”

“I was just very shocked.”

“Even so, you shouldn’t be missing me in the first place.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s not how it works with best friends! You should be missing me when I go on vacation for a couple of weeks, or when you see something that reminded you of me, or even as simple as when you’re feeling lonely because you haven’t seen me in a couple of days, not for two fucking years, Seungcheol! You can’t say that you miss me when you’re the one who cut me off! That’s just not fair!”

He watched you with kind and apologetic eyes as you ranted on about how unfair he was. It was very late and he knew you were very tired by the way you talked. You always sounded so whiny and your eyes would tear up when it was this late. He knew he was wrong - when he pushed you away, when he said said he missed you, and even all the way back to when he kissed you - he was in the wrong no matter what angle you both looked at it, but that didn’t make him miss you any less with each passing day.

“I called you so many times because you were the one who told me to call, but you never answered. Why couldn’t you just call me back?” you finally asked.

It was another long moment of silence before he collected all of his thoughts and explained to you. “When I saw you for the first time after a month in the middle of the street, all I wanted to do was run up to you, wrap my arms around your waist, and twirl you in the air as I hugged you. And then I’d gently put you back on the ground and I’d kiss you again. I didn’t think about the cars around us, or the people around us, or even Yunah. I fell for you, _____...”

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “You what...?”

“If I’m being honest, I’m surprised that I held myself back the way that I did. After I asked you to catch up over dinner, I realized that I wasn’t being fair - to you, myself, and especially to Yunah. How could I be having these feelings about you, my best friend, when I have Yunah?”

“Seungcheol, it was just one kiss -”

“No, it wasn’t, and you know it!” he told you sternly. At this point, you felt the tears fall, but you figured they did a while ago. Seungcheol’s face was just as stern as his voice, letting you know that his words weren’t just sugar-coated. “The look on your face when I saw you in the street… You were thinking the same thing I was. You know it wasn’t just a kiss, and I know that you know.” Then he chuckled softly. “I know everything about you.”

“How long have you had those feelings?”

“I think I always have. All four years,” he admitted. “What about you?”

“Hello? Are you two still ok?” the intercom interrupted.

“Yeah,” Seungcheol answered, not taking his eyes off of you.

“Maintenance came early. We’re taking you to the first floor.”

“Thank you.”

Seungcheol was the first to rise to his feet, leaving you shocked and frozen to stone on the floor. You didn’t hesitate to take his hand when he offered it to help you up. His hand was warm and soft with a touch that sent shivers down your spine.

And then it was all over. All the bickering, the nostalgia, the warmth of your heart - like all good things, it came to an end. You arrived at the lobby and Seungcheol led you to the door, still holding your hand.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” he whispered.

Yes. “No, I’ll be ok.”

“You sure?”

No. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks for tonight. Take care of Joshua for me, ok?”

“_____ -”

“I’ll see you soon.”

And so you left, with Seungcheol staring at you until you disappeared, leaving him feeling guilty and with words left unsaid. You spent the entire walk home crying with a smile on your face.

\--

You spent the entire week with your head in the clouds daydreaming about Seungcheol. It was so bad that it was interfering with your work! You daydreamed about the way his hand felt wrapped around yours, about the way he bit his lip every time he smiled, and about his confession to you in the elevator.

The word ‘ _confession_ ’ just sounded so wrong… but what would you even call that moment that night!? And what would you call whatever this feeling was!? Sure, you’ve been talking to Joshua the whole week, but he didn’t spark your heart the way your once best friend did.

You haven’t talked to him at all since that night. You tried texting him, but the words you wrote couldn’t convey your feelings properly. Instead, you needed to see him.

So that’s how you ended up standing outside his door at nine in the morning on a Saturday.

You haven’t slept since last night and maybe you were just being a bit hysterical or maybe it was the sleep deprivation that guided you here, but there was no turning back now. You needed to tell Seungcheol how you felt.

You loved him. You always had - as a friend, as a best friend, and something more, and you needed to let him know.

You knocked on his door at the same pace as your heart and a shirtless Seungcheol opened the door. Damn, he looked good...

“_____?”

“Hey,” you finally breathed out. “Is this a bad time…?”

“Uh… No, it’s fine, I can talk for a couple of minutes.”

“That’s the thing, I think it’s going to take a lot more than couple of minutes -”

“Seungie? Who’s at the door?”

Yunah came out of Seungcheol’s room wearing the t-shirt he clearly wasn’t wearing and nothing else but her panties. You peaked inside of his apartment to see her clothes, shoes, and bra spread out across the living room and made a trail to his bedroom, indicating a wild night for the both of them.

Your heart dropped, your face dropped, you might as well have fell through all seventeen floors. You felt so fucking stupid. Here you were in front of his apartment ready to spill your heart out, completely forgetting that his was already taken.

“Is that you, _____? Whoops, let me put some clothes on -”

“No need, I’ll just leave.”

“Didn’t you need to tell me something?” Seungcheol asked.

“I forgot... I’ll call you when I remember,” you muttered. “Sorry I interrupted your fun.”

“_____, wait -”

“I’ll see you later.”

“_____!”

You sprinted to the elevator and didn’t look back. This was what you deserved for falling in love with your best friend. Your emotions were all mixed in the pit of your stomach. You felt angry that you believed his confession, foolish for thinking that he still felt that way after two years, and hurt that you were yet again left behind in the dust.

But there were no tears this time. You were all cried out.

\--

An entire week was spent trying to wash away the naked images of Seungcheol and Yunah by taking one hour showers. An entire month was spent using Joshua as a distraction to cloud your thoughts. It was invigorating playing the same game he was playing. At first, you felt like a shitty person for using him like a drug to forget your past, but as you laid next to each other, naked and staring at the ceiling, he merely shrugged after you told him that you couldn’t see anything advancing emotionally between the two of you.

“Yeah, I kind of knew that already.”

“What, how?”

“The first time you call me was a month after our date? I’m not stupid,” he chuckled, nudging you playfully.

“That’s true… I’m sorry for dragging you into my mess.”

“Don’t be, I’m more than happy to oblige ~ Besides, I don’t think we would have worked out, anyways.”

“A bit quick to judge, don’t you think?”

“It was kind of easy to gauge it, actually.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

“One person - Seungcheol.”

You didn’t say anything as Joshua continued to keep you company.

“You know, I knew about you before our double date.”

“That’s not weird at all,” you snorted.

“Do you know why?”

“Lots of social media stalking?”

“Seungcheol talked about you at work so often that I felt like I knew you for four years, too.”

“Why so often? We weren’t even talking when he started working with you.”

“I don’t think you understand how much he cares about you.”

No, you clearly don’t by the way he confessed to you one evening and goes back to fuck his girlfriend the next. The only thing you understood about Seungcheol was that he was like every other boy and you wanted nothing to do with him.

“What happened between the two of you, anyways?”

“We sort of kissed…”

“Yikes…”

“Like, two years ago, though!”

“But it ruined everything, huh?”

“Naturally.”

“Do you love him?”

You didn’t answer, though you didn’t need to.

“I’m going to head out for tonight. You need some sleep. Call me later?” Joshua said as he changed back into his clothes.

“You can stay over if you want.”

“I’ll be fine, thanks though. But promise me something?”

“Hm?”

“You need to tell him.”

“Joshua -”

“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he winked. He placed a soft kiss on your forehead, just like how you did to him the first night. “Good night, _____. Don’t forget to call me when you need me ~”

You ended up sleeping for two hours that night thinking about your favorite person in the world. No matter how you looked at the situation, whether you told Seungcheol about your feelings or not, you’d be fucked either way. But Joshua was right, as much as you hated to admit it. Once you told him, you would be set free.

Your sleep would have been longer if someone didn’t aggressively ring your doorbell at seven in the morning. This felt like deja vu, especially when you opened the door to reveal an equally-exhausted Seungcheol. His hair was messy, eye bags as purple as yours, and if he didn’t look so lonely, you’d think he just woke up from another session with Yunah.

“What were you going to tell me when you showed up at my door?” he demanded as soon as you opened the door.

“Hello to you, too,” you mumbled.

“_____, please.”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because I need to know.”

“Why, so you can cut me off again, but for good?” you sighed. “Seungcheol, I know you’re not stupid.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know why I showed up at your door. You know what I was going to tell you, and I didn’t need to wait to get my answer. God, you made me feel so fucking _stupid_ , you know!”

“_____ -”

“You tell me you love me in the elevator that fateful night but then you go and sleep with your girlfriend like you don’t have a conscience! And you know what, you were right - this is not fucking fair to neither me nor Yunah! She’s an amazing girl, Cheolie, you need to be with her, cuddled up in bed, not here in front of my door making us look both pathetic.”

When you made eye contact with him after your heartfelt rant, you saw him trying to hide his grin.

“Why are you smiling!?”

“You called me _Cheolie_.”

“Seungcheol -”

“_____, I love you.”

You only shook your head, not wanting to believe your ears. “You can’t say that!”

“Yunah already knows.”

“She what!?” You realized that Seungcheol was still standing outside of your apartment when passers-by began to watch the two of you bicker. You pulled him in roughly and slammed the door. “Seungcheol, what did you do!?”

“We broke up.”

“Why!? More importantly, _how_!?”

“A couple of days after the elevator incident, I came home to her one night and she told me she loves me, and do you know what I said? I said, ‘ _I love you, too, ______ ’,” he smiled sheepishly. “And you want to know something crazier? She said she’s always known - longer than we have.”

“Oh, my God, you did not say that…” you groaned, covering your face with your hands. “How can you just throw away two and a half years like that!?”

“Two and a half years doesn’t compare to the lifetime I get with you, right?” he teased, tugging your hands away from your face and wrapping them around his waist. 

“Lifetime? Why a lifetime?”

“‘Cuz we’re getting married in five years, remember? How could you forget your proposal to me?”

“I didn’t think you’d remember.”

“Of course I remember,” he said, squeezing you tighter. “I miss hugging you like this.”

“Me, too,” you muttered into his chest. “Where do we go from here…?”

“How about we move in together?”

“What the hell, Seungcheol, aren’t you jumping the gun a bit too fast!?”

“You asked me to marry you in college so I think I’m going a lot slower than you are.”

“You just got out of a relationship, you don’t want to take it just a bit more slowly…?” you asked, because truth be told, you thought it was just his vulnerability doing the talking.

“I love you, _____,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against yours. “I’m afraid to be away from you any longer. Let’s just do it.”

In any other normal situation or normal relationship, you would have said no immediately. But you and Seungcheol weren’t normal, were you? Your heart beated for him so loudly that you knew he heard it, too, and that’s where the two of you stood with each other. So you nodded your head.

“Ok. I’ll move in with you.”

“I knew you would say yes ~” he chimed.

“Of course you did,” you smiled for the first time in forever. “I love you, Seungcheol.”

“I love you, too.”


End file.
